Everyone Else is a Regressor

Chapter 1

◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (1)

Prologue. The Lone Survivor

A young man of twenty-three, KiJun, who had just completed his military service, found himself one day summoned to another world while lazing around at home.

A butterfly-like creature, self-proclaimed as the tutorial Fairy, appeared and addressed him as a hero.

"Hello, heroes! From now on, we will embark on a journey to save this world! We will help those in need, defeat monsters, and ultimately slay the Demon Lord to save the world! Shall we begin the tutorial?"

There was a problem, though: there were quite a lot of heroes.

Exactly one million, to be precise.

No more, no less.

Well, if you included the person who got split in half by the butterfly during the tutorial, it was one million and one.

Including KiJun, the remaining one million heroes summoned to this world had no choice but to listen to the butterfly creature, even if it meant avoiding being split in half.

"Following your words will eventually allow us to return to Earth, right?" asked a brave man, considering the possibility of his head splitting open. The butterfly nodded confidently.

"Yes, of course, heroes. If you survive here until the end, you will definitely be able to return to Earth. To do that, train according to my instructions, explore, and become stronger!"

KiJun did as he was told because he didn't want to die.

Fortunately, he had just finished his military service, so his body was robust.

Taking notice of this, he formed a party with others who had similar qualities and, armed with a shield, began exploring this otherworldly realm, facing off against monsters.

In this game-like world, the more they trained and explored, the stronger they became, just as the butterfly had said.

Among them, those with luck and talent became even stronger.

KiJun lacked luck but was fortunate to possess talent.

His talent led him to the final battlefield.

The battle with the Demon Lord took place fifteen years after the entry of one million heroes into this world.

Whether they died in fear, or bravely fought and perished, only a thousand heroes remained on the battlefield.

It wasn't that important.

In the end, they all fell before the Demon Lord.

"I'm sorry, KiJun... I couldn't... protect you..."

A hero who fought alongside KiJun until the end, a woman who had been the strongest among all heroes, couldn't fulfill her dying wish.

She fell, and KiJun, lacking skills in combat, couldn't defeat the Demon Lord alone even if he woke up.

- Achievement Unlocked! You have become the last surviving hero. You have gained the legendary title [The Last Hero]. The title effect activates upon killing the Demon Lord.

- You have gained experience points due to achievement completion.

"Hah..."

Reading the message confirming he was the only survivor, KiJun laughed. Even the condition to activate the title he had acquired seemed to mock him.

It activates upon killing the Demon Lord?

But I can't do it now!

"How foolish."

The Demon Lord, with horns and demon wings protruding, approached KiJun, the last remaining hero, and sneered.

"You may have a talent for hitting, but how did you end up on such a wrong path? If you had chosen the right path from the beginning, you might have been able to defeat me."

"I realized that a bit too late."

KiJun retorted calmly against the Demon Lord, who had killed his precious companion. In any case, there was no way the Demon Lord would spare him just because he asked.

At least, he wanted to face death with dignity.

No, in truth, that was a lie.

Was he trembling like an earthquake due to the prolonged battle of thirty hours, or was it his natural instinct to want to kneel down now? He didn't know.

Still, he had to bluff for now.

As the last remaining human being, he had to maintain his dignity, he told himself, reaffirming his determination as the last tank.

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"If I were given a chance to start over, I could have crushed your bones myself."

"Anyone in your position would think the same way."

KiJun knew he couldn't do anything alone.

The tank would be helpless by himself.

With trembling legs, KiJun extended his hand toward the Demon Lord, who had crouched down and was forcing him to kneel, and sighed heavily.

"No, everyone brought to this world probably thinks the same way. If given a chance to start over, they would efficiently grow by choosing a growth method that suits them, discovering hidden skills and items in this world and seizing them—."

To become strong enough to be crushed to death with a finger—.

"—Isn't that right?"

"Such a deadly miracle doesn't exist, I know."

Suddenly, he felt empty.

Although he wanted to die with dignity, he didn't want to be ridiculed by the Demon Lord.

KiJun, crushing his rare-grade shield that had become lumpy and melted with his own hands, extended his neck towards the Demon Lord.

"Now, kill me. Thanks to you, I've been rolling around like a dog for fifteen years."

"But ta-da! What if such a deadly miracle really exists?"

Ta-da?

Did you just say ta-da?

KiJun looked at the Demon Lord, who spread her palms wide, with a face of disbelief.

"So what?"

"I will send you back to the past."

KiJun doubted his eyes, ears, and brain.

Am I already dying, and the Demon Lord in front of me is a hallucination visible only to my confused mind?

No, logically, an enemy of the heroes like the Demon Lord wouldn't say she would send me back to the past.

However, surprisingly, the situation was not a hallucination.

Nor was it an auditory hallucination.

"To be honest, the Heros from your Earth were too weak."

Suddenly, the Demon Lord, who had stiffened her expression, sighed.

"They had exceptional senses and the ability to find hidden secrets in this world... but..."

"That's true."

Even KiJun, who lacked luck compared to other Heros, was able to find several rare-grade skills by diligently finding the hidden conditions of quests.

But how did the Demon Lord know that fact?

"Nevertheless, their basic abilities were too lacking. It took them fifteen years to reach me, and in the end, they couldn't surpass me and all perished."

"Yeah, you must be thrilled to be so strong."

"This is why you all roll around uselessly when entering the actual game."

KiJun questioned what she meant by that.

"What?"

"Anyway."

The Demon Lord mumbled his words.

"I will give you another chance. However, not just you, but all one million Heros."

"One million Heros... All of them?"

KiJun was so shocked that he forgot what he had heard earlier.

Staring at KiJun, who was gaping, the Demon Lord smiled satisfactorily.

"I will send everyone back to the point when they were summoned to this world, retaining only the memories of their last moments before death. It's called regression."

A regression to the past.

Not only KiJun but all the Heros who faced death in this world?

"Don't feel unfairly treated. Opportunities should be given fairly, and since you have survived for a long time, you will know more and start anew. There's definitely merit in it."

"Unfair, you say."

"Is that all? In addition, although skill levels are reset, the experience and memories of growing those skills remain. Even if you walk the same path, you can grow much faster and eventually surpass your limits."

It wasn't unfair.

KiJun just couldn't understand why the Demon Lord, the enemy of the heroes, was doing something beneficial for the heroes.

Was it a plan to deceive him with the promise of regression and then observe him dreaming under the influence of an illusion spell, looking at him with a smile and thinking, 'Did he have a pleasant dream?'

"I can't trust you."

"Would you trust me if you were in my position?"

"Actually, whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. It's already predetermined."

The Demon Lord chuckled and reached out to the protagonist.

Unable to move a muscle, KiJun felt a delicate hand on his chest.

- Unique skill [Unbreakable Internal Clock] resists interference from the enemy's abilities attempting to disrupt the body.

- Resistance failed. Most of the body becomes immobile.

Due to the unique skill that he possessed, there was significant resistance against abilities that directly restrained the body. Even so, the Demon Lord ignored it and held him down.

"Earth's Heros seriously fell short of Leta's entry standards, so we'll have to go through the tutorial once again."

"Tutorial?! What are you talking about?"

"How are you talking right now?! Could it be a unique skill...?!"

The protagonist shouted in disbelief at the Demon Lord's words, and the Demon Lord was surprised to see him resisting her magic, even if only slightly.

However, after regaining her composure, she didn't hesitate and sent her magic directly into his heart.

THUD

His powerless body collapsed to the ground.

"So what? Anyway, the tutorial Demon Lord you'll meet next won't be me."

"Cough!"

A Demon Lord is a Demon Lord, but what did she mean by a tutorial Demon Lord?

Could it be that the 15 years he spent in this world were all just a tutorial?

And what did it mean that the next Demon Lord he'll meet won't be her?

She had so many questions he wanted to ask the Demon Lord, but sadly, her life was fading away.

His rare skill 'Persistent Regeneration,' which increased his natural healing abilities as death approached.

His rare skill 'Indomitable Will,' which helped him overcome mental and physical Will and endure every situation.

His rare skill 'Metalization,' which temporarily turned his body or weapons as hard as metal.

Even if it meant prolonging his life for a little while, they couldn't save her.

"You did well. You really surprised me, remaining a Hero until the end."

The Demon Lord's tone softened slightly.

Did she already consider herself dead?

He wondered if someone was sitting by his head, but just as he thought that, she gently stroked his head, lying on the ground.

Could it be the Demon Lord? Her?

It was impossible to believe that the person who touched his heart and the person who killed him were the same.

"The second round will undoubtedly be hellish... but you can overcome it and become stronger. Then, on the main stage... you'll see hope even in Leta."

"Hero, the rollback will begin soon."

At that moment, a voice from another direction made KiJun's fading consciousness even more complicated.

A very familiar voice.

It was the voice of the moth that had tormented him and other Heros for the past 15 years!

"Hero, huh? You've been through a lot too, Moth."

"I'm not a moth, I'm a Fairy!"

The Demon Lord also saw her as a moth.

No, but why does that little moth call the Demon Lord a Hero?

Why does it sound like they're close friends?

He desperately tried to hold on to his fading consciousness, but as death approached, even his hearing disappeared.

- Initiating rollback of all Heroes’ body data. After reverting all Hero body data to the initial point, transmit to 'Tutorial Channel - 1,876.'

- After the transmission is complete, 'Tutorial Channel - 1,875' will be closed. All NPCs, please move to a safe location.

"Can I stay here and watch until he 'regresses'?"

"Did you like him? His face is just average. His charm is exactly 50."

"Anyway... he's pitiful and admirable. Someone with this level of mental strength and determination is rare even among top-tier civilization Heroes."

"That's true. Moreover, he has excellent talent. If he had mastered weapon skills instead of just a shield, he would have easily surpassed the limits of his race."

"He must have known that too. He held onto the shield until the end, probably because of the colleagues who were dragging him down... all those colleagues he sacrificed to save..."

"Foolish. In the end, they all died."

"Don't belittle my resolute will with foolish words... We are still in the tutorial. I will do better next time."

"Sigh, you really find it terrifying to consider me as your junior. Anyway, I understand. We just need to delay this area’s destruction a bit, right?"

"Thanks, Tinkerbell."

"Somehow, that sounds like an insult too..."

- Unique skill [Unbreakable Internal Clock] resists abnormal interference with internal time.

- Resistance successful. [Unbreakable Internal Clock] receives positive adjustments beyond its limits.

- Legendary achievement unlocked! Unique skill [Unbreakable Internal Clock] transcends its limits and grows to Legendary grade! Not only will the internal clock become more sophisticated, but it will also have firm resistance against all types of abilities interfering with the body.

- Experience gained from the achievement. Reached level 96! Strength +1, Skill +1, Magic Power +1.

In that moment, life returned to the body that was once a dying corpse. Due to the experience gained from the two consecutive achievements, the level increased, healing the injuries and restoring both stamina and magic power.

"One million people, right?"

"Yes, they all reverted. The fairies in channel 1,876 also confirmed that one million people were definitely received."

The voices of the Demon Lord and the Fairy, which had not been audible, started to become clear again.

KiJun blinked his eyes. 

They all reverted?

"I'm still here?!"

"Gasp!"

"Kyaa!"

Upon KiJun's body fully recovering, he stood up abruptly and shouted. The Fairy and the Demon Lord were both shocked.

The two... no, the two beings' eyes were widely dilated as if they had seen something unbelievable.

"What, what is this? How are you alive, no, why are you still here?!"

Whether it was a concept that the Demon Lord had spoken of while fighting the heroes or a relaxed tone, when he looked at the disappearing corpses all over the battlefield, KiJun was surprised and shouted. 

Seeing the disappearing corpses of the heroes wriggling all over the battlefield, KiJun was amazed and shouted. Then, the Demon Lord and the Fairy were shocked at the Demon Lord's words.

"What's that? How did you survive? No idea!"

"What's that, I don't know either!"

"Ah-ah-ah-ah!"

In panic, the two beings next to him screamed while the Fairy made a loud noise.

"One million people, right?"

"Yes, we reverted everyone except him. It was only one person among one million from the beginning! I forgot about it after killing that bastard as an example in the beginning!"

"If that's the case... Could it be real?"

The Demon Lord and the Fairy looked at each other with perplexed expressions.

KiJun, who hadn't properly judged the situation yet, was sure of one thing.

All the heroes had reverted.

Except for him.